Signs



June 11, 1957 n... G. STANDARD 2,795,068

sIGNs Filed April 20, 1953 I -lllllllllllllllililllll Lou/s G. SMA/04H0,J4 A JNVENToR.

ATTORNEY.

United States Patent ice 2,795,068 'Si-Gus Louis G. Standard, LosAngeles, Calif. Applicaties April zo, rass, senat Ne. stam 1 claim. (cl.t0-'126) The present invention .relates to signs generally, and moreparticularly to a type of sign which lis animated, and wherein certainportions of the sign appear to move. Thus, a bottle may form a portionof the sign, the bottle having liquid pouring therefrom into a drinkingglass, with bubbles in the liquid floating to the 'surface thereof.

The present sign of the invention is adapted for many purposes, and maybe of any size desired, such as for placement on counters or outdooruse, and elsewhere.

An object of the invention is to provide a sign wherein intendedanimation or movement has a more realistic appearance to the onlooker.The average animated sign repeats a given sequence Within a short periodof time, with the result that the sign loses its attractiveness andinterest. The present invention is so designed as to overcome anymonotony in the animation, to the end that the sign attracts attention,due to the realistic appearance of the animation.

A further object is an animated sign wherein the sign elements appear tosparkle.

Another object is the provision of an animated sign which is inexpensivein cost of manufacture, and generally superior to animated signs nowknown to the inventor.

In the drawings: p

Figure l is a front elevation of a sign incorporating the invention,

Figure 2 is a sectional view on the line 2-2 of Figure 1, i

Figure 3 is a sectional View on the line 3 3 of Figure 2, and,

Figure 4 is an elevation of one member of the animated sign.

Referring now with particularity to the drawing, I have shown, by way ofillustration, a sign 1 which may be of the outdoor Variety, but in thepresent instance, is adapted for placement on a counter. The sign maytake any configuration desired to enhance its ornamental appearance, andin the present instance, has a framing 2 for the advertising surface 3.Ends of the framing may be ornamented by posts, as shown at 4, whichjoin with a base 5, which base, together with other elements, will holdthe sign a certain distance above a supporting surface. Rearward of thesign is a casing 6. This casing has slanting or diver-ging side walls 7and 8, a rear wall 9, a base 10, and a cover 11. The side walls 7 and 8are flanged at 12 and 13 so as to t within the contines of the framing2, as shown in Figures 2 and 3. The rear wall 9 i's provided with adepending strut 14, which acts as a rear support for the sign, it' beingnoted that the depth of the strut is the same as the depth of the base5. The surface 3 may be of a glass-like or plastic material havingopaque portions and light transmitting portions, which may betransparent or translucent. By way of example, the advertising surface 3has light transmitting portions 1S, these portions indicating thenumeral 58. At 16, I have provided a tipped `drinking glass forreceiving a liquid, the liquid pouring into said glass from a bottle 17.The bottle may be hat or halt-round and Ptented June v1l, 1957 securedto the framing in vthe position vshown in F while the drinking glass 16is preferably half-round and secured across the training andarpvortio'n(ofl A sing lsi'liifaeir 3. From the mouth of the bottle to`th` f the drinking glass, there arevftran'spa ht portions l18 separatedby opaque Otion's which, lvfvheit the transparent v'portions aife mated,as will be pointed out, give the 'appef V-ce .of lliquid flwiiig iiitthe driiiking glass :from 'the bottle. p

Y Re'arward di lthe ydrinkingfglfas's l16 andl spac'e'dly se,- cured tethe inner ysurface df the aavertis'ihg sffvcens is a plate 19, providedw'th'prfratiois 20. sfshovi'ii in Figure l, theseperforation'sfliefwithin the confin`e' `the transverse area of thedrinking glass and notfout'side the vmargins of said drinking glas' 4 .lH

A conicavleieilect'oi" 21 is .positioned within v"the easing so 'that'any light withinr said casing will ybeV directed toward the advertisingsurface. Light is afforded by means of a bulb 22 carried by socket 23,the socket being supported by the base 10, and surrounding the bulb 22is an annular member 24. Member 24 has a top portion 2S provided with apivot 26, there being an elongated rod 27 having a pointed endpositioned in said pivot, with the opposite end of the rod secured tothe base 10. The cap or cover 25 is provided with a series of segmentalinclined wings 28 whereby heat from the bulb 22 will cause the annulus24 to rotate. The surface of the annulus 24 is provided with transparentportions 29 of reversed curve appearance and extending from the top tothe bottom of the annulus. The intervening spaces may be translucent oropaque and when the annulus revolves, the bulb 22 being energized, lightstreaks will travel progressively across the rear surface of theadvertising surface 3.

The operation, uses and advantages of the invention just described, areas follows:

The inventor is aware that it is old to provide some medium, ysuch asthe annulus 24, having transparent portions adapted to produce lightstreaks across an advertising surface or other surface. However, such anarrangement does not always give the animation desired for a sign, nordoes the movement of a liquid, `such as the pouring of a liquid from abottle, as illustrated, appear natural to the onlooker. The inventor hasdiscovered that the provision ofl the perforated plate 19 spaced fromthe rear surface of the advertising surface 3, together with therevoluble annulus 24, produces a surprising elect, and one that isrealistic. The streaks of light passed through the reverse curvedportions 29 of the annulus strike the perforated plate and pass lighttherethrough in a sweeping motion and the perforations cause bubbles toappear within the drinking glass 16, which bubbles travel very rapidlyfrom the bottom of the drinking glass to the top thereof, while at thesame time, the streaks of light passing through the transparent areas18, show liquid flowing steadily into the drinking glass with thebubbles rising through the liquid to the top of the drinking glass.

The arrangement for any advertising matter which may appear on thesurface 3 is, of course, optional, or as illustrated by the portions 15representing the large numeral 58, and the streaks of light from theannulus will pass thereover for the purpose of calling attention to suchmatter without necessarily producing any movement in such advertisement,other than movement of Ithe light. By providing transparent portions orholes in that portion of the advertising surface 3, such as shown at 15,the streaks of light give a sparkle to the advertising matter. Thiseffect is enhanced by the reflector 21 which picks up the light streaksfrom all positions of the annulus 24 and directs the light toward theadvertising surface 3. It is apparent, however, that the advertisingmatter might be caused to travel, if so desired, although primarily, the

, 3` i intent of this invention is to show movement in some object, suchas in the drinking vglass and bottle. The provision of a half-rounddrinking glass, which is semitransparent or translucenadds to theeffect.

In an animated sign construction, a plane advertising surface having aplurality of spaced transparentportions surrounded by opaque portions,certain of which'transparent portions are to be animated, a light sourcepositioned laterally of the center of said surface, a stationaryuniformly perforated plate of a size only a small fraction of the areaof the advertising surface and located generally in front of one area tobe animated, said plate be ing spaced'from the rear surface of saidadvertising surfaceto allow the light source to pass dots of light tothose portions which are to be animated and the area of saidperforationsconforming to a portion only of the area ofthe outline of said one ofsaid transparent portions, `a smoothly curved concave reector extendingfrom one side margin of the advertising surface to the other sidemargin, so spaced that the light source is offset with respect to thefocus of the curve and rotating means between the reector and the rearsurface of the advertising surface for passing streaks of light throughsaid means directly from said light source and by reflectionprogressively through the perforations of said plate to animate said onelight transmitting portion, the light reilected by the concave reflectorpassing through other transparent portions of the advertising surfacespaced from said perforated plate whereby the latter portions arelighted but are not otherwise animated.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS888,569 Zarella May 26, 1908 1,382,227 Pyper June 21, 1921 1,703,761Berry Feb. 26, 1929 1,921,570 Johnson Aug. 8, 1933 1,935,557 Hoag Nov.14, 1933 2,069,103 Bestler Jan. 26, 1937

